Editing Prime Minister of Israel (section)

==Order of succession==
If the prime minister dies in office, the cabinet chooses an interim prime minister<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4583928.stm Q&A: Israel's political future] BBC News, 11 January 2006</ref> to run the government until a new government is placed in power. Yigal Allon served as interim prime minister following Levi Eshkol's death, as did Shimon Peres following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin.

According to Israeli law, if a prime minister is temporarily incapacitated rather than dies (as was the case following Ariel Sharon's stroke in early 2006), power is transferred to the [[Deputy leaders of Israel#Acting Prime Minister|acting prime minister]], until the prime minister recovers (Ehud Olmert took over from Sharon), for up to 100 days. If the prime minister is declared permanently incapacitated, or that period expires, the president of Israel oversees the process of assembling a new governing coalition, and in the meantime the acting prime minister or other incumbent minister is appointed by the cabinet to serve as interim prime minister.

In the case of Sharon, elections were already due to occur within 100 days of the beginning of his coma; thus, the post-election coalition-building process pre-empted the emergency provisions for the selection of a new prime minister. Nevertheless, Olmert was appointed interim prime minister on 16 April 2006, after the [[2006 Israeli legislative election|elections]], just days before he formed a government on 4 May 2006, becoming the official prime minister.

===Acting, vice and deputy prime minister===
{{main|Deputy leaders of Israel}}
Aside from the position of Acting Prime Minister, there are also vice prime ministers and deputy prime ministers.

===Interim prime minister===
The '''interim prime minister''' ({{langx|he|ראש הממשלה בפועל}}, ''Rosh HaMemshala Ba-foal'' lit. "prime minister de facto") is appointed by the government if the incumbent is dead or permanently incapacitated, or if his tenure was ended due to a criminal conviction.

Israeli law distinguishes the terms ''acting prime minister'' (מלא מקום ראש הממשלה), filling in for the incumbent prime minister, temporarily, and acting in the incumbent's office, while the incumbent is in office, and an ''interim prime minister'' in office. Only if the incumbent prime minister becomes ''temporarily incapacitated'' will the acting prime minister act in the incumbent's office and will be standing in for him for up to 100 consecutive days, while the incumbent is in office. Legally, the "100 consecutive days" limit, in the language of the law, only stipulates that the incumbent then is deemed to be ''permanently incapacitated'' and that the limited time for an acting prime minister to act in the incumbent's office is over.

In 2006, Ehud Olmert, after standing in for Prime Minister Sharon for 100 consecutive days, as acting prime minister, did not automatically assume office as an interim prime minister. The government voted to appoint him, and in addition, he was also a member of prime minister's party, which enabled them to appoint him to the role.<ref name="Olmert Interim">{{cite web| url = http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2006/Cabinet+Communique+11-Apr-2006.htm| title = Cabinet Secretary Statement after the Cabinet meeting on 11 April 2006 (English)}}</ref>

Shimon Peres was the foreign minister when Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated, and was voted unanimously to assume office as an interim prime minister until a new Government would be placed in power (that he later formed by himself). Yigal Allon was also voted to be the interim prime minister after Prime Minister Levi Eshkol suddenly died and served until Golda Meir formed her government.

Both the interim and acting prime ministers' authorities are identical to those of a prime minister, with the exception of not having the authority to dissolve the Knesset.

===Interim government===
An 'interim government' ({{langx|he|ממשלת מעבר}}, ''Memshelet Ma'avar'' lit. "transitional government") is the same government, having been changed in their legal status, after the death, resignation, permanent incapacitation, or criminal conviction of the prime minister, as well as after the prime minister's request to dissolve the Knesset (Israeli parliament) was published through the president's decree, or after it was defeated by a motion of no confidence (these actions are regarded by the law as "the Government shall be deemed to have resigned"), or after election and before the forming of a new government.